


Better With You

by lovetheblazer



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Concussions, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Darren, M/M, Temporary Amnesia, crisscolfer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-22
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-08 09:18:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5491901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetheblazer/pseuds/lovetheblazer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Advent Prompt #21: I have amnesia and you say you’re my best friend but I keep on forgetting and thinking we’re lovers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better With You

“Hey, thanks for coming,” Joey greets Chris as he rushes into the emergency room. “I feel horrible for leaving him under the circumstances but I've got a second callback and my agent will kick my ass if I ditch the audition.”

“Of course, you definitely wouldn't want to miss that. I don't mind at all, actually. I'm really glad you called me,” Chris murmurs. “How is he?”

Joey shrugs helplessly. “Confused and super out of it, mostly. The doctors said it's just a concussion and that he should be more with it by tomorrow but they still want to keep him overnight under observation to be safe.”

Chris takes a moment to gaze at Darren who is currently curled up on his side on a gurney fast asleep. Aside from the hospital gown, IV, and big bump on his temple, he doesn't look all that badly injured. Still, Chris's stomach is doing somersaults and his heart is racing wildly, just as it has been ever since Joey called him to say Darren was in the hospital. “So... what happened, exactly? You didn't say when you called before,” he prompts.

“A bunch of us were playing football in the park. It was supposed to be touch football, but Joe got a little too aggressive at making tackles and Darren thought it was a good idea to charge someone double his size and well... that didn't end well for him,” Joey sighs, gesturing to Darren's sleeping form.

“Jesus,” Chris manages. “But he's going to be okay?”

“That's what the doctor said. I kinda freaked out when Darren couldn't remember my name in the ambulance – he could barely even remember his _own_ name – but the neurologist who examined him was pretty convincing and reassuring,” Joey explains. “I still feel weird about leaving him, to be honest. Maybe I shouldn't g–”

“Go,” Chris interrupts. “Seriously, Darren will be pissed at you if he finds out you passed up a chance at your big break because of him later on.”

“You think?”

“Definitely. Besides, we'll be perfectly fine until you get back. For all you know, Darren will just sleep the entire time. Even if he doesn't, I'm sure we'll find something to do to amuse ourselves in the meantime,” Chris soothes.

“He might not remember you. Your name, anyway. He's been really loopy,” Joey warns. “I just wanted you to know ahead of time so it won't freak you out like it did for me at first.”

Chris's stomach reverses course and suddenly the somersaults become back flips at the thought. He's never seen Darren be anything less than healthy and full of boundless energy – his verbose, energizer bunny of a best friend, both on set and off. The thought of Darren being hurt or confused scares the living shit out of Chris, dredging up strong feelings he's spent months trying to forget or deny. He takes a deep breath and draws of reserves of strength to reassure Joey, though, because he knows it's the right thing to do for all involved. “I appreciate you wanting to prepare me, but we'll be fine, I swear,” he promises, even mustering a tight smile. “You better go now – you don't want to be late.”

“You're a lifesaver, Chris. Thanks again,” Joey replies gratefully.

Next, he turns towards Darren's prone form, considering him for a moment before he reaches out and squeezes Darren's shoulder. “I'll see you soon, bud,” he whispers.

Chris isn't expecting Darren to respond, so it's a shock when Darren inhales sharply and begins to stir. He goes quiet and still for a long moment, but then he’s slowly opening his eyes and blinking heavily up at Joey.

“Dare?” Joey calls out, obviously caught off guard as well.

“Hmm? I'm sleepy,” Darren slurs in a gravelly voice.

“I'm headed out for a few hours, but Chris is going to stay with you, okay?” Joey says, gesturing towards Chris standing on the opposite side of the bed.

Darren frowns and slowly turns his head in Chris's direction, wincing as his eyes meet with the bright fluorescent light overhead. He looks at Chris for a long, charged moment, seeming dazed.

“Hi,” Chris tentatively greets him, barely breathing while he waits for Darren's reaction.

“Do you remember him?” Joey asks Darren, seeming equally wary of how Darren will respond.

“Of course. He's my – my–” Darren begins, trailing off while he struggles to find the right word.

Chris's stomach shifts from doing back flips to cartwheels and his head spins. Hearing that Darren was injured had been exceedingly difficult on its own, but _seeing_ the evidence with his own eyes is infinitely worse. Again, Chris is forced to draw on his reserves of strength in order to give Darren what he hopes is a reassuring smile.

“He's my Chris,” Darren finally finishes, returning Chris's smile with a sleepy grin, making Chris's heart race for a whole new reason.

“Something like that,” Joey chuckles. “Are you going to be okay without me for a little while now that you've got your Chris?”

Darren clumsily extends his hand and succeeds in connecting with Chris's sleeve, using his grip on the fabric to draw Chris closer to the gurney. Then, he threads their fingers together without hesitation. “He'll take care of me,” he responds to Joey with utmost certainty, as though the statement is a fact, not a desire or a request.

Even though it's not meant as a question, Chris finds himself nodding in agreement. “I will. We're good, Joey. Break a leg at your audition, okay?”

“Will do. I'll be back in a few hours, hopefully.” And with one final wave, Joey is gone.

“How are you feeling, hon?” Chris asks Darren as he eyes the chair that Joey's just vacated.

“My head hurts,” Darren sighs. “Can you rub it?”

“Rub your head?” Chris asks, confused. “Like, where you hit it?”

“Rub my hair,” Darren murmurs. “Hey, come here. I'll show you.”

“I'm already right here, honey. I'm holding your hand, see?” Chris explains, holding up their intertwined fingers.

“No, closer,” Darren huffs.

Chris decides to humor Darren by tugging the chair closer to the side of the hospital bed, but that requires releasing his grip on Darren's hand momentarily. Darren makes his disapproval known with a whimper of protest. “I'm coming right back,” Chris promises as he drags the chair to Darren's bedside and drops into it. “Okay, you can show me now.”

“Like this,” Darren explains, petting Chris's hair. “It's what boyfriends do, right?”

“Boyfriends?”

“I love you and you love me, right? So... boyfriends,” Darren slurs, then winces again. “Please rub my head it hurts so much,” he whines.

Chris takes a steadying breath and begins carding his fingers through Darren's curls. “Is that better?”

“Mhm yeah, don't stop, okay baby?” Darren moans appreciatively.

The casual term of endearment makes Chris shiver and suddenly the crush he's spent months resisting is back full force. It would be so easy to succumb to the temptation to play pretend but Chris's guilt and paranoia won't allow for it. “Darren, we're not boyfriends. You know that, right?”

“But you're... my Chris,” Darren slurs, looking lost. “We kissed before. I remember your lips were really soft.”

“That's different. It wasn't... that was for work.”

Darren looks stricken. You don't like me?”

“No no, of course I do. You're my best friend. You're really important to me,” Chris rushes to clarify.

“Well, I love you,” Darren insists. “You make me feel better. You don't love me?”

Chris can't lie to Darren. Even if he could, he really doesn't want to. “Of course I do. You're really important to me and I've been worried sick over you. I just... this is a conversation we should have when you aren't hurt and you're feeling better, alright?”

“So, a kiss is out of the question?” Darren pouts. “Even if it would make me feel better?”

Chris swallows hard and tries to ignore the gymnastic routine currently taking place in his stomach. He's so tempted to plant a kiss on Darren's lips, but he wants Darren to be an active participant when – _if_ – it happens. He needs Darren to remember their first real kiss later on. Instead, he has to settle for bending down and kissing Darren's forehead. “Better?”

“Always. I'm _always_ better when I'm with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Share fic on Tumblr](http://lovetheblazer.tumblr.com/post/135692446465/better-with-you)
> 
> Read Previous Advent Fics on: [AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/Advent_Fics_by_lovetheblazer) or [Tumblr](http://lovetheblazer.tumblr.com/tagged/advent-fics-by-lovetheblazer)


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